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What kind of Uniforms and Truck Identification

07-27-2010, 09:09 PM

Hey guys. As some of you know this is my first year of being in business. I got a few shirts from Vista print in late May. Now it is starting to fade rapidly. I am looking to get some new shirts. Right now I am working on creating a logo. I am not sure exactly how this will work out. I am using the LOGO CREATOR on gopher since my budget wont allow for much extra money. I would like to have my logo printed on my new shirts. I never really had much contact with lawn care companies growing up so I have no idea what a professional lawn care person would wear. Any Ideas would be great? I'm torn between getting T-shirts or polo shirts. Any suggestions? Maybe a little of both. What kind of pants do companies wear with these shirts? Though this is my first year, I want to come back Bigger and Better next year. I also got two Truck Magnets for me business. They are doing well, but I am worried once i get my logo on my shirts it won't match my truck and then as I get to be more known people may think it is two different companies. Any suggestions on that? If i did lettering instead of magnets, how exactly does that work? does it come off easily? Any help you guys can give me concerning Uniforms and Truck Lettering/magnets would be great! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I wouldn't worry about the shirts and pants yet. If you are going to spend the money I would put as much advertising on my truck as possible and on your trailer if you have one make your truck stand out a bigger outfit has 3 trucks all the same and you can tell them from a mile away how much buisiness do you think your going to get from wearing your shirt your truck can advertise for you all the time even if its parked at the parts store or on a busy street. Go with vinyl and go big it comes off with a little heat gun and looks like your going to be around for a while as for magnets.

You can get it done for what you probly would have paid for the shirts at a local shirt place that requires a min of like 12 to 15 good luck. Oh yeah are you a one guy show or do you have an employee if your only one guy put it on the truck

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I get shirts that are embroidered and you dont have to worry about that fading out.

I pay average $4 a shirt and that includes the embroidery, have yet to find a better deal anywhere. You can order as few as 4 items, and you can mix the items if you like. Get 1 hat, 2 shirts and a bag....

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I wear blue Dickies pants, black work boots, a white Tshirt with my company's logo on the front, and a white hat with the logo on it. I always carry at least one extra shirt in the truck in case i have to do an estimate before I get home in the evenings. Always tuck it in when doing estimates. The reason I went with this is because I used to use blue jeans but they always ripped when lifting heavy things. Also, sometimes I would wear polos but when it's 110 outside its too much. Though wearing a polo when doing estimates would be a good idea.

I have extra shirts that I sometimes have my helper wear. He likes cut offs and I don't want to have my company's shirrts cut off so most of the time he wears his own stuff but i'm always in "uniform."

I have 2 magnets on my truck with my logo and phone number.

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JP Landscaping: Do you wear dickies pants or shorts? Where I am it is usually about 95-100 when I am mowing. The heat never really bothered me except when its super humid outside. I wear jeans to school every day and half the time our A/C doesn't work so it really doesn't bother me. I must admit though, it is nice to have a breeze going across my legs with shorts. Thanks for the idea of the polo at estimates. I was thinking about mowing in them but was like that has to be TO HOT.

CheapNEasy: Thanks! I Hope to get some kind of shirt done this has helped me a lot. Let me know if you find a better deal any where.

Norcal: If I shouldn't get shirts now, then at what point should I get them? I'd like to have some kind of shirt on while I am mowing. Yes my company just a 1 guy. I sometimes have helpers though. Where do you get vinyls made at?

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Buy a few shirts at the least, even if u spend 10 bucks for a work shirt and it lasts a year, thats ok. It presents you as professional!

As for vinyl lettering, look for a print shop, might get shirts and vinyl lettering at the same place, if no luck try a window tinting service, some of the bigger ones can cut vinyl. if no luck still, look for a custom vehicle shop.

Try the yellowpages, look under advertising!

I wouldnt get 100 shirts, but i would atleast get 3 for you.

5-6 if u have somone u can give to that will wear it for advertising
or
5-6 if u have a helper, then atleast give 1-2 to someone you know to wear for advertising.

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Wow Imgoing to have to check out queensboro.com. But what we do is walmart or JC penny outlet store red polo shirts. I have to disagree with jp landscaping it is any where from 105 to 113 degrees currently and its nice to have the sun off my neck with the polos.

As for when to get shirts. Ya the lettering for your truck is important but having a uniform of some sort makes u stand out a little as well. Im usually a one man crew but the days I need a few people there no greater feeling when we are all in uniform. Atleast made me feel proud of the business and we felt big. No one has every seen us not in the red polos. In fact in my family/my baby girl, the joke is im the dude in red.

My "advertising" color scheme is bright (nearly neon) green, deep (nearly purple) blue, and white. I found pocket Ts at W-mart that are nearly identical in color (both the blue and the green) for $5. I picked up a few and will be looking at different stores for more.

I had considered looking into a do it yourself silk screen kit, but for right now, even just looking sharp without a name/logo is better than nothing. I'll be wearing one when I go to give an estimate tomorrow.

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Hey guys, also if you decide to order from QueensBoro let me know and I will send you a referral, itll save you $25 off your first order.... And well, it give me a little something too when you make an order.

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Steve: Well I am not sure really how to go about choosing colors. My logo is green and white. my truck is white and trailer black. My flyers that i originally passes out were like a neon green. I didn't know anything really about printing up shirts with a silk screen kit. Do you think the Graphic Comunications class at my high school will do ****s business cards or something like that?

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JP Landscaping: Do you wear dickies pants or shorts? Where I am it is usually about 95-100 when I am mowing. The heat never really bothered me except when its super humid outside. I wear jeans to school every day and half the time our A/C doesn't work so it really doesn't bother me. I must admit though, it is nice to have a breeze going across my legs with shorts. Thanks for the idea of the polo at estimates. I was thinking about mowing in them but was like that has to be TO HOT.

CheapNEasy: Thanks! I Hope to get some kind of shirt done this has helped me a lot. Let me know if you find a better deal any where.

Norcal: If I shouldn't get shirts now, then at what point should I get them? I'd like to have some kind of shirt on while I am mowing. Yes my company just a 1 guy. I sometimes have helpers though. Where do you get vinyls made at?

ANY SIGN SHOP IN TOWN REALLY THERE IS EVEN A PLACE IN OUR MALL YOU CAN GET THEM TO DESIGN IT

There motto is a business with no signs is a sign of no business just shop around find the best price and try to have them put it on

At what point should you get shirts or even a hole uniform whenever you can afford it after you get the signage on your truck I would say but i think its more important on the truck first

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What color is your truck? If it's not that bright neon green, have you thought about painting it that color too? What about your trailer?

Paint this truck neon green? Methinks not.

Although that wouldn't be a bad idea for a trailer. I'm going to start looking for a used one and I have to say that I've only ever seen "black" as the standard color on trailers around here. A neon green trailer would be noticed.

I'm also considering lettering for the back window - that, or the graphics that cover the entire window but allow you to see through from the inside. Everyone has white, vinyl lettering on their truck, so I'm leaning toward the more expensive graphics. I'll post something when it happens, but it will be a while.